Thomas Thorne
Biographical Information Son of a dressmaker & an electrical engineer. Has one elder sister. Usual youthful romantic attachments culminating in an love affair at university which fell foul of the sectarian troubles, the girl being a Catholic. Joined the army partly on the rebound. May have had an affair later in life with the married nurse who looked after him after his shoulder was broken in an IRA bomb blast. It isn't clear if he keeps in contact with her, if he does, he's very discreet. No kids. He's a high ranking bachelor officer, not averse to female company, but no steady attachments apart from his university & hospital romances. Nothing known that would provide leverage against him. * Born 6th Jan 1946 * Leicester Secondary Education 1957 to 1964 Gateway Boys School, Leics. Academic record 9 “0” level GCE, 2 “A” level. * Maths & Physics Undergraduate 1964 to 1967 Queens University, Belfast. BSc (Hons) in Architectural Acoustics, Dissertation: The design of directional loudspeakers. * Doctorate (Physics) 1967 to 1969 University of Kent, Canterbury, Research paper: Use of Directed energy beams for wireless power transfer. Service History * Officer Cadet 1970 Imjin company, Sandhurst Officer training course RE Troop Commanders course RE Combat Engineering School, Camberley. * RE Combat Engineer Training 2nd Lieutenant 1972 33 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), Carver Barracks Wimbush. 2wk Elementary course, Equip’t prep. 4wk Intermed. course, Advanced demolitions & mines * Lieutenant 1974 2IC 22 Squdr’n, 33 Rgm’t EOD N Ireland * 1975 4wks Pre Para course, Ripon 3 wks All arms Para course, Catterick 4 wks Parachute training, RAF Brize Norton Captain 1977 3rd Battalion, Para Rgm’nt, 5th Infantry Brig’d Catterick & Osnabruck. * 1979 4wks Pre Commando course Chivenor 8wks All arms Commando course Lympston 8 wks Arctic Warfare Cadre Norway Marksmans badge 59 Independent Commando Sqdn RE * Falklands War 1982 (April 2) Attached to 3 Commando Brigade. June 2nd, Harrier Fwd operating base, San Carlos Engineer support, advance on Port Stanley Awarded MC for defence of the FOB * 1982/3 3 wk Army flying grading course, AAC, Middle Wallop ** 4 wks Groundschool instruction, RAF Cranwell ** 14 wks Elementary flying training, RAF Barkstone Heath ** 1 wk Aeromedical & survival training, RNAS Yeovilton ** 9 wks Defence helicopter flying, RAF Shawbury ** 18 wks operational training phase/conversion to type, AAC, Middle Wallop * 1984 14wk Armoured engineer course, Bovington ** 6wk Close support troop Commanders course Major O.C. 8th Company, Armoured Engineers, N. Ireland * 1985 Injured in IRA bomb blast Awarded bar to his MC * 1986 Seconded to DERA Specialist weapons development Research Team D.E.Ws “Intelligent” ammunition “below the horizon” Targeting E.S.D. weapons Multistage projectiles Sensory Disturbance weapons Entangling weapons * 1990 Lieutenant Colonel O.C. 9 Para Squadron RE 1st Gulf war * 1991 Part of 23 Reg’t RE with 1st Armoured Div Bosnia, as part of UNPROFOR * 1993 Rwanda * 1994 9 Para Squadron RE * 1998 Colonel O.C. 23 Reg’t RE, 16th Air Assault Brigade Kosovo * 1999 Sierra Leone * 2000 with 2 Para Macedonia * 2001 Retired * 2002 Regular Army Reserve of Officers * 2002 to 2008 Consultant to QinetiQ * 2002 to present - SEF Notable Activities ---- Back to Personnel Database Category:Personnel